Display device.



L. G. QUAGKENBOSS. DISPLAY DEVICE. APPLIOATIOIW FILED 001231, 1907955,200, Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SKEET 1.

ANDREW 5 auum 66. 010mm Wmnm 0,

L. G) QUAGKENBOSS.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 001231, 1901.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

4 SHEETSSHEET Z.

ANDREW u ulIAnAM on. PNUYO-UYHDGRAPHERS. WASHINGYON. a c

L. G'. QUAOKBNBC-JSS.

DISPLAY DE CE; APPLICATION TITLED 00131 I907.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I 4 @2 WW7:

HERS. WASNINGTON. a Q

L. e. QUAOKBNBOSS.

DISPLAY nnvxon. APPLICATION-FILED 00131, 1907, 955 ,200, Patented Apr.19, 1910.

4 v 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITE ST LEONARD G. QUACKENBOSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Application filed October 31, 1907. Serial No. 400,100.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD G. QUACKEN- BOSS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Display Devices,of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to display devices, pertaining more particularly tosuch devices for displaying and facilitating the sale of commercialarticles of which there are a great many kindsand varieties.

My invention contemplates improvements whereby an extensive display ofarticles on sale may be accommodated in a very small space, thusrendering my device particularly useful where the available space is limited, and embraces other advantageous features whereby the displaypieces may be effectively and attractively subjected to view.

Furthermore, my invention provides means whereby the sale of thearticles is greatly facilitated. The means thus provided isparticularlydesigned for the purposes of accuracy in sale and saving time, andsecures these advantages by effectively eliminating the need of constantattendance of a salesman while the purchaser is making the selections asto his purchases and relieving the purchaser of the burden of bearing inmind his choices in case they extend to quite a number of differentkinds of the articles on display.

It will appear evident herein that the de vice of my invention may beemployed advantageously for displaying any kind of articles of whichthere are great varieties subject to selection by purchasers, but forthe purposes of clearness and convenience I have herein illustrated andwill describe my invention as employed for the purpose of displayingpicture or ornamental post cards such as are sold on the market in greatnumbers.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the device; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view on the line 22 of Figs. 1 and 3, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 3 is a rear elevational Viewthereof,

parts being removed to reveal the construction; Fig. 4 is across-sectional view on the line l-4 of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows; Fig. 5 is a perspective Viewillustrating one of the display members which will be hereinafterdescribed; Fig. 6 is a partial sectional View on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 7 is aperspective view illustrating one of the keys employed in the recordingor registering mechanism.

Like reference numerals are applied to the same part-s throughout thevarious figures.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated herein, the main frame orcasing 10 of the device accommodates the display means, the recording orregistering mechanism and the stock of articles corresponding to thoseon display.

Referring first to the construction and operation of the displaymechanism, I have here illustrated at 11 a vertical pivot rod suitablydisposed and supported by the casing, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2,this rod forming the axis for a plurality of movable display members aswill be hereinafter described. These display members are here shown asof substantially cylindrical form and as being of diminishing diameterand height, each member disposed within the next in order. I haveillustrated these members at 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively and haveshown them as provided with ends 16 and 17 having registering centralopenings 17' through which the pivoted rod 11 is adapted to pass. Eachof the members pre sents a curved display surface, as is evident fromthe drawings, and is provided with the outwardly radially extendinghandle 18 to facilitate manipulation thereof.

It is apparent that with the construction thus far described, themembers may be rotated on the axis 11 independently of each other, and,being disposed proximate to the open part of the casing, it is evidentthat proper manipulation of these display members will expose to viewall the articles of sale carried thereby. The innermost dis play member15 is, as here shown, in the form of a complete cylinder while theremaining display members are substantially of semi-cylindrical form.The construction of one of these outer display members is illustrated inFig. 5 and the relative position of the display members is illustratedin Fig. 4 where the purposes of the particular construction are readilymade apparent. The form of the casing being such that but substantiallya half cylinder could be exposed to view at a time, it will be seen thatin Fig. 1, the members 12, 13 and 14 are in their hidden positions whilehalf of the cylindrical member 15 is subjected to view. lVhen the handle18 of the member 15 is turned to the reverse position, that is, to theposition occupied by the handles 18, 18 of the other display members, itis apparent that the opposite side of the member 15 will be exhibited.These display members are adapted to carry displays of any suitablearticles, such as jewelry, cards or the like. Materials such as cerealsand spices can be displayed by the provision of an auxiliary transparentmember for each display member, between which and the display memberproper the material may be disposed. As here shown, however, a pluralityof pictures or post cards are pasted or otherwise secured upon thecurved display surfaces. It is apparent that when the handle 18 of thisinnermost display member is properly manipulated, the cards on eitherside thereof may be exposed to view, and when it is desired to disclosethe exhibits carried by the display member 1 1 the handle 18 thereof ismoved over to the reverse position, thus disposing the display surfacethereof before the purchaser. Similarly, when it is desired to revealthe exhibits carried by the display member 13 the handle 18 thereof ismoved over to the reverse position and the same manipulation isapplicable with reference to the display member 12.

It will be seen that in aggregating the surfaces of the various displaymembers a great amount of display surface is obtained and a large numberof the cards or other articles on sale may be accommodated. The handles18 are disposed in convenient position for manipulation by a prospectivepurchaser and it is evident that all the exhibits may be quicklydisclosed so that the purchaser may make his selections. The feature ofthe inter-disposed display members se cures a concise and compactarrangement, thus saving a great amount of space without diminishing thenumber of the articles exhibited or impairing the attractiveness of thedisplay. At the rear of the casing a door 19 is provided which whenopened admits of access to the articles on display for the purposes ofchanging the same, and to facilitate removal or rearrangement. It isapparent that with proper manipulation of the means for moving thedisplay members, access may be gained to all and any part of thedisplay. It is a feature that the exhibit is at all times, protectedfrom handling, removal and disarrangement, a glass casing 20 beingprovided to inclose the display members as illustrated in the drawings.A suitable slot 20 is formed therein at the bottom or other properclearance provided through which the handles 18 may extend, thusproviding eflicient means where by although the exhibit is effectuallyprotected, the display members may be readily manipulated. It isconvenient to mount the pivot rod 11 so that it is readily removablewhereby the display members may be removed for purposes of repair or thearrangement of a display, and racks or divisions of any kind may beprovided upon the display surfaces according to the kind of articles ondisplay.

In the purchase of pictures, ornamental post cards, or other articles asherein mentioned, either the constant attendance of the salesman isnecessary while the purchaser is making his selections, particularly ifhe chooses a considerable number thereof, or the purchaser is subjectedto the annoyance of keeping in mind those particular cards or otherarticles of the display which he has selected and of which he desirescopies taken from the stock. With my device however, both thesedisadvantages are entirely eliminated and the purchaser is enabled torecord or register his selections as he inspects the display. Theregistering or recording means as illustrated in the drawings consistsbroadly of a recording key board disposed before the purchaser and acomplementary indicating board, operated by the keys on the key-board,plainly in view of the salesman. The frame or casing 10 of the device,as herein illustrated, is provided with a base board 21, in which aplurality of sliding members 22, 22 are mounted. These sliding membersare conveniently accommodated by forming the base board 21 of lay ers,leaving transverse slots 23, 23 in the intermediate layers in which themembers 22 may operate. At the front of the base board, which forms thekey board, these slides 22, 22 terminate in finger pieces or keys 24, 24which are adapted to be manipulated by the purchaser. lVhile it is ofcourse immaterial just how and where these keys are disposed, I haveherein illustrated the sliding members to be arranged in two planes andto terminate in keys arranged in two rows upon the key board. It will beseen that their particular arrangement is immaterial but the arrangementherein is advantageous in that an easily constructed compact arrangementis secured.

At the rear of the baseboard 21 the sliding members 22, 22 terminate inthe complementary indicating pieces 25, 25 normally hidden within theslots in which the sliding members reciprocate. The keys or fingerpieces upon the key board are provided with identification characters,as will be described,

any certain finger piece or key upon the key board causes the display ofthe correspond- 1 ing indicator piece upon the complementary indicatorboard before the saleman.

In order that roper identification may be had between tie exhibits andthe registering and recording mechanism, I find a convenient arrangementto be the application of a predetermined definite numeral or othercharacter to each picture, postcard or other article in the display, andto provide the keys upon the key board with corresponding numerals orother reference characters. The indicator pieces upon the indicatorboard are provided with complementary reference characters correspondingprecisely with the keys upon the key board. \Vith this method ofidentification the selection by the purchaser of any certain card orother article in the display may be noted or registered by themanipulation of the corresponding key upon the key board. It is apparentthat any number of these keys may be provided so as to correspond innumber to the number of articles, or kinds thereof included in thedisplay.

WVhen the purchaser operates the display members to expose the variouspictures, post cards or other articles, as his selection dictates,manipulate any of the keys upon the key board to cause the actuation ofthe corresponding indicator piece upon the complementary indicatorboard, and the salesman may then know which of the articles thepurchaser has selected. It is apparent that the purchaser is notsubjected to the annoyance of bearing in mind all the selections he hasmade, since each selection is immediately recorded upon the indicatorboard and when the purchaser has completed his inspection of thedisplay, the entire list of his selections will be registered upon thecomplementary board and the salesman may then make correspondingwithdrawals from the stock.

In order to further facilitate the sale of the articles the rear of thestructure may be provided with a plurality of suitable pigeon holes 26,26 in each of which the stock of any certain article may be disposed. Itis of course advisable, and greatly increases the rapidity with whichthe salesman may make his withdrawals to identify the pigeon holescorrespondingly with the characters on the display, the keys and theindicators. The door 19 protects the articles in stock when the deviceis not in use, and admits of access thereto at the time of a sale. WVhenthe salesman has drawn the required articles from the stock, he returnsthe registering mechanism to its normal position to await manipulationby a further purchaser.

My invention admits of various modifications which will readily suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art and as it is obvious that suchmodifications may be made in the structure of my invention withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof. I do not therefore desire to limitmyself to the particular construction herein shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A display device comprising a plurality of interdisposed co-axiallymounted members arranged to support the articles to be displayed, andmeans connected with each of said members for enabling each member to bemoved about its axis independently of the other members to display thearticles carried thereby.

2. A display device comprising a plurality of interdisposed,substantially semi-cylinof interdisposed co-axially mounted membersarranged to support the articles to be dis played upon their convexsurfaces, and means connected with each of said members for enablingeach member to be moved independently of the other members to displaythe articles carried thereby.

3. A display device comprising a plurality of interdisposed co-axiallymounted members arranged to support the articles to be displayed, acasing for said members having a transparent portion through which thearticles carried by said members may be viewed, and a handle for eachmember extending without said casing for enabling each memher to bemoved about its axis independently of the other members to display thearticles carried thereby.

4. A display device comprising a plurality of interdisposed,substantially semi-cylindrical, co axially mounted members arranged tosupport the articles to be displayed upon their convex surfaces, andmeans for moving any one of said members at will through substantially asemi-revolution in order to bring into view all of the articles carriedby the member moved.

5. A display device comprising a plurality of interdisposed,substantially semi-cylindrical, co axially mounted members arranged tosupport the articles to be displayed upon their convex surfaces, acasing 115 for containing said members, said casing having a transparentportion through which said members may be successively viewed, anoperating handle for each of said members for enabling each member to berotated 120 independently of the others, and means for limiting thepossible rotating movement of said members.

6. In a display device, the combination with a casing, of a plurality ofinter-dis- 125 posed substantially semi-cylindrical display membersmovably mounted upon a common axis within said casing, a centrallydisposed cylindrical display member movably mounted upon said axis, atransparent portion for 130 said casing before said members, and ahandle for each of the members extending Without said casing.

7. In a display device, the combination With a casing, of a plurality ofindependently swinging display members mounted Within said casing, atransparent portion for said casing before said display members, meanswhereby access to said display mem- 10 bers may be gained, and means forlimiting and defining the movements of said display members relative toeach other and to said access means and said transparent portion.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two W1tnesses.

LEONARD Gr. QUACKENBOSS. Witnesses:

WV. PERRY HALM, M. R. Roonrom).

